Mekedatu project: Karnataka minister warns officials, orders field visits
Synopsis
Karnataka's Water Resources Minister didn't mince words at a CNNL review: officials who stay desk-bound face suspension, and the long-stalled Mekedatu project must move — even as 112.88 TMC of Cauvery water has flowed into the sea over five years with nothing to show for it. The minister's public ultimatum signals a political urgency that bureaucratic inertia has so far resisted.
Key Takeaways
Cheluvarayaswamy warned CNNL officials on 16 September that non-performers would face suspension.
Approximately 112.88 TMC of additional Cauvery water has flowed into the sea over the past five years , unused.
The Mekedatu project is projected to store at least 22 TMC of drinking water; construction is targeted for completion within three years once land is secured.
Mandagere and Hemagiri dams — around 800 years old — need immediate repair estimates to prevent water leakage.
Officials must reserve 20 per cent of available water exclusively for drinking and provide twice-daily dam-level updates.
57 per cent of vacant CNNL posts are to be filled soon; a commissionerate for all water corporations is also under consideration.
Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Wednesday, 16 September directed officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) to accelerate pending irrigation works, resolve drinking water shortfalls, and fast-track preparations for the long-stalled Mekedatu project — warning that non-performing officials would face suspension without hesitation.
Minister's Warning to Officials
Addressing a progress review meeting at the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam hall in Bengaluru, Cheluvarayaswamy was blunt in his rebuke of desk-bound bureaucracy. 'Do not sit in AC rooms and work out calculations. Get into the field and respond to farmers' problems. Officials who do not work will be suspended without hesitation,' he said.
The minister instructed officials to furnish twice-daily updates on dam water levels, dead storage volumes, the quantity of water released to Tamil Nadu, readings at Biligundlu, and conditions across command areas. He also directed that 20 per cent of available water be reserved exclusively for drinking purposes.
Mekedatu Project: The Case for Moving Forward
Cheluvarayaswamy made a pointed case for reviving the Mekedatu project, noting that approximately 112.88 TMC of additional Cauvery water had flowed unused into the sea over the past five years. He described the project as a permanent solution that would benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during drought years and enable storage of at least 22 TMC of drinking water.
The minister said Karnataka had already submitted a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) addressing Tamil Nadu's concerns about water flow and that the Central Water Commission had responded positively. 'We will meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister through the Chief Minister and, with the cooperation of all MPs from the state, explain the benefits of the project to the Prime Minister,' he said.
The government aims to begin construction once alternative land is secured for submerged areas, with a target of completing the project within three years. Officials were directed to digitise all project-related documents immediately.
Dam Rehabilitation and Drinking Water Measures
Of the 23 minor dams under CNNL, Mandagere and Hemagiri dams — both approximately 800 years old — are in a dilapidated condition. The minister directed officials to prepare repair estimates immediately and take steps to prevent water leakage.
Cheluvarayaswamy also instructed officials to complete the remaining 32-km stretch required to supply Hemavathi water through Kunigal to Huliyurdurga, and to release water to lakes in the Tumakuru, Basaralu, and Nagamangala areas once every three days — under police protection if necessary.
Precautionary measures to prevent drinking water shortages through the end of summer were also mandated, with a separate meeting planned with the Finance Department to secure funds for dam rehabilitation.
Broader Irrigation Commitments
The minister directed officials to complete pending works in the Harangi and Kabini areas and to make effective use of funds already disbursed for the Sriranga Lift Irrigation Project, including activating the express canal at the earliest.
He assured that 57 per cent of vacant posts within CNNL would be filled soon, and endorsed a proposal to establish a commissionerate consolidating all water-related corporations under the Water Resources Minister. Irrigation projects would be distributed to all MLAs on an equal basis — two to three projects each — free from political pressure.
The Cauvery basin spans 34,273 square kilometres across 11 districts. Under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, Karnataka is obligated to bring 18.85 lakh acres under irrigation — of which 15.55 lakh acres fall under major and medium irrigation and 3.30 lakh acres under minor irrigation. Government Secretary Kulkarni, CNNL Managing Director Mahesh, and senior engineers attended the review meeting.
With the minister publicly staking personal accountability — noting that both he and the Chief Minister hail from the Cauvery basin — the pressure on CNNL to deliver tangible progress on the Mekedatu project is now squarely in the public domain.
Point of View
But Karnataka has issued similar administrative warnings before without consistent follow-through — the real accountability test will come in the months ahead. The Mekedatu project remains caught between inter-state politics and Centre approval, and a positive Central Water Commission response is not the same as a green light; Tamil Nadu's opposition in the Supreme Court remains an active constraint. The figure of 112.88 TMC lost to the sea is a powerful political argument, but it also underscores how long both the project and the urgency around it have been deferred. Whether this review meeting translates into ground-level momentum — or becomes another well-documented directive that stalls at implementation — is the question Karnataka's farmers in the Cauvery basin are watching most closely.
NationPress
16 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mekedatu project and why is it significant?
The Mekedatu project is a proposed balancing reservoir on the Cauvery river at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, designed to store at least 22 TMC of drinking water and provide drought relief to both states. Karnataka argues the project is critical given that around 112.88 TMC of Cauvery water has flowed unused into the sea over the past five years.
What did Karnataka Water Resources Minister Cheluvarayaswamy direct at the CNNL review meeting?
Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy directed CNNL officials on 16 September to expedite the Mekedatu project, repair two 800-year-old dams, complete a 32-km water supply stretch, and provide twice-daily dam-level reports. He warned that officials who failed to perform their duties would be suspended without hesitation.
What is the current status of the Mekedatu project?
Karnataka has submitted an SOP addressing Tamil Nadu's concerns about water flow, and the Central Water Commission has reportedly responded positively. The state government plans to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister and the Prime Minister to push for approval, with construction targeted to begin once alternative land for submerged areas is secured.
Which dams under CNNL are in urgent need of repair?
Mandagere and Hemagiri dams, both approximately 800 years old and among the 23 minor dams under CNNL, are in a dilapidated condition. The minister directed officials to immediately prepare repair estimates and take steps to prevent water leakage from these structures.
How large is the Cauvery basin and what are Karnataka's irrigation obligations?
The Cauvery basin covers 34,273 square kilometres across 11 districts in Karnataka. Under the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, the state is required to bring 18.85 lakh acres under irrigation — 15.55 lakh acres under major and medium irrigation, and 3.30 lakh acres under minor irrigation.
